Blast-furnace.



PATENTBD JUNE 26, 1906.

W. KEMP.

BLAST FURNACE. APBLIGATIOK FILED JUNE 30, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L WITNESSES:

mil/Emma 7%22212272 ynfl Armmvfrs No. 824,485. PATENTBD JUNE 26, 1906.

W. KEMP.

BLAST FURNACE. APPLIOAUON FILED mm: 36, 1905.

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- WIN/E8858: IN VE N 70!? 7m il Em A TTORNEVS O pipe 6. Hoppers 12 are provided with chutes UNITEYnf srA- rEs ATET orio.

WILLIAM KEMP, or ruosoN, ARIZONA TERRITORY, AssIeNoR OF ONE-HALF TO MERRILL P. FREEMAN, or TUCSON, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

BLAST-FURNACE.

Patented un 26,1906.

Application filed June 30, 1905, Serial No. 267,741.

Tucson, in the county of Pima and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and Im.

proved Blast-Furnace, of which the follow ingis a full, clear, and exact description. i y invention relates to furnaces for smelt- Ing ores,,'especially ores of copper'an'd-irom Among the objects of my invention are the followingi first, to economize the use of fuel; second, to rid the acre of sulfur should any of the. latter be contained therein third, toprovide an effective fuel-chamber in which the fuel is fed directly to the smelting zone of the furnace before being heated; fourth, to provide special air-blasts for preventing the coal from being heated While in transit to the fuelchainber, fifth, toprovide the furnace with special twyers for the purpose of burning out sulfurous components of ores; sixth, to distribute the fuel chamber throughout the entire len th of the furnace, and, seventh, to provi e certain constructional improvements hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the ing drawings, forming a part-of t tion, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures,

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through accompany s specificamy improved furnace, and Fig. 2 is a longituwedge shape, as indicated in Fig. 1.

- out the length of the dinal section through the same.

The ore-chamber is shown at 3, and con sists of a water-jacket of substantially frusto- This ore-chamber is open at thetop in the usual manner. At the bottom of the ore-chamber are disposed upon each side a series of twyers 4,, connected by means of twyer-pipes 5 with the bustlepipe 6. The fuel chamber is shown at 7 and extends practicallythroughfurnace. This fuelchamber is bounded by water jacketed walls 8 9, forming an angle relatively to each other. A series of twyers 10 tap into the Water-jacketed wall 8 for the purpose of supplying air to the fuel-cha1nber 7 at a lurahty of points. These twyers 10'are supp ied by air-pipes 11, which communicate directly with the bustle- 13, which extend obliquely downward into conveyers 14, which are provided with spiral with oneof the air-pipes- 11.

uniformly along the fuel-- 1 screws 15. The hoppers 12 are fpreferably of the self-feeding type but this ature is old Each tubular conveyor 14 is, in efiect, a conduit for carrying properly distributing it in the fuel-chamber 7. A number of branch conduits 16 are 0011- I nected with the conduits 14 and are spaced equidistant .throu hout the general length of the furnace. Eac branch conduit 16 s connected by a comparatively small air-pipe 17 By means of. sliding valves 18 19 the respective pipes 5- and llmay be opened and The metal-well is shown at 20, and disposed and forms no essential part of my invention. 5

coal from the chute 13 and closed at will upon each side thereof arewalls 21 of refractory material, preferably quite thick, as indicated.

These walls serve to support the fuel,

and consequently constitute the bottoms of the respective fuel-chambers 7.. The sup-j ports 22 and other parts shown are ofor The ore is shown at 23' nary construction. and the fuel at 24.

Preferably I start my furnace in the following manner: In the smelting-chamber I first put the wood and ignite the'same and then eed through the branch conduits 16in the manner above described coal on the burning wood and start 'up twyers 10 until I have produced an incandescent mass in the fuel-chamber. at the top of the ore-chamber the ores de. sired to be treated. The ore is fed into they the blast through the Then'I feed I ore-chamber 3 at the top in the usual manner. bustible compounds, the valves 18 are. left open to a suitable extent. If the ore contains no sulfur, the valves 18 are generally closed. The spiral conveyers bein in action the coal is fed continuously fromt chop;-

If the ore contains sulfur orits com pers 12, through the chutes 13, and through the several branch conduits 1 6, so as to fill the fuel-chambers 7. The coal does not stack up in the branch conduits 16, but falls upon the walls 21 and piles u ,preferably,-to a levelsomewhat below the ower ends of the branch conduits 16. Meanwhile the ore 23 feeds downward, and is thus sandwiched-between the masses of fuel 24, being in actual contact, but not being commingled ore-body as a whole is almost separate from the fuel-bodies. As the fuel is consumed more that is tosay, the a is supplied through the branch conduits 16,

the supply being so regulated that the branch conduits 1.6 are always kept free of burning fuel. Air is supplied from the pipes 11, and when the furnace is in operation the valves 19 are always open, at least to a greater or lesser extent. The air-pipes 17 are always open, and not only serve to keep up acircnlation. of air through the branch conduits 16 and downward by a downblast following the fuel-supply into the fuel-chamber, thereby preventing combustion of the fuel while pass ing through the branch conduits 16, but also serve to supply the fuel '24 with air delivered at point somewhat difficult of access. The fuel flat is thus supplied with an upblast from the bottom and a downblast from its top. in the case of ores containing sulfur when the air-blast is turned on passing through the twycrs 4 the air comes directly into contact with the sulfur and iron in the heated ore, forming sulfurous gases and oxid of iron, thus generating a smelting-heat. This heat is due partly to oxidation. of the iron, but mainly to the combustion of the sol fur. A great advantage is thus obtained, because the ObJBCtlOniiblG gases are expelled from. the ore and the necessity of roasting as a distinct step is avoided, and the gases immense fireplace.

themselves in the process of expulsion actu ally serve the purposeof fuel, and therefoie economize the use of coal.

it will be noted that the fueLchambers 7 are comparatively wide. Each of these fuelchambers has approximately the shape of an A comparatively large volume of coal is thus caused to burn in immediate COIlbfiClZ Wltll the ore-bod and et there is no dangerof any part of t e coal 0- ing ignited before actually entering the fuelehamber. It should be borne in mind that the coal drops loosely from the conveyors 15 to the bottom of the fuel-chamber or to the level to which the fuel may be filled therein. it is of course impossible for the coal, whether in large lum s or otherwise, to ignite While falling this s ort distance so long as the air pipes 17 are blowing a stron blast of cold air upon eachseparate piece 0 coal as it falls.

ll prefer to feed the coal by dropping it loosely, as above stated, but do not limit myself to that manner of feeding, as it may sometimes be desirable to feed the coal downward upon the fuel as practically a solid feed from the conduits M, and this ma readily be done provided the downdraft t 'ou la the branch conduits 16 is kept up with en cient power to prevent combustion in those conduits, one important feature of my invention being the use of this downdraft to prevent an updraft tlurough the branch. conduits and the combustion of the fuel therein.

in order to stop the supply of coal, owing to the fuel-chambers being full, the rotation space intermediate thereof, --'conctitu le"lthc smelting-chamben One of the main purposes of my invention is to feed the ore into the center of the smelting-chamber and to feed solid coal free from combustion in to immediate contact with the ore-body without admixture therein, so that the coal after being thus placed is ignited that is' to say, the coal is first placed while comparatively cool in the smelting-chamber and is then heated and ignited in the first in stance.

It will be seen that this furnace as compared with other furnaces affords quite a umber of distinct advantages. For inice, a sulfid ore containing any percentage 0;. sulfur can be smelted by the use of a comparatively small quantity of coal. If an orc contains no sulfur, it can be smelted at a much less cost in this furnace than in other furnaces, for the reason that the fuel used is coal and is consumed right at the smelting zone. In most of the ordinary furnaces considerable waste takes place, due to the fact that a lar e percentage of the heat is lost in the shape 0 unburned carbonic oxid, which om the top of the furnace. In my furnace no carbonic oxid can escape, as none is formed above the smelting zone. I am -aware that furnaces have heretofore been constructed in which the attempt was made to feed the .ore and the fuel independently and continuously. I do more than this, in that While feeding the fuel to the ore continuously I also prevent the premature combustion from taking place in the fuel thus supplied. 4 y

i do not limit myself to the exact details above stated, for obviously the principles underlying my invention may be applied in various ways, depending upon the diversified needs of the art and the individual tastes and requirements of different operators. Neither do 1 limit myself to the use of coal, for under certain conditions coke or charcoal and other solid forms of fuel may be employed instead.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of an ore -feeding chamber, a conveyor for supplying fuel to a point adjacent thereto, an air-pipe connected with said fuel-chamber at the point of entry of said fuel into said chamber soas to maintain said fuel at a lower temperature until after actually entering said fuel-chamber, and means for supplying a draft through said air-pipe sufficient to prevent combustion of the fuel before entering said chamber.

2. In a furnace, the combination of an orc- ,feeding chamber, means or sup lying air directly thereto for the purpose 0' burning out sulfin'ous components contained Within the of the e iral conve em 15 is simply sto ped. The fuelwhamlier 7 together with the ones, a fuehchamber independent of said ore passes through the ore-body and escapes assess f ceding chamber, means for supplyin fuel to said ll'lGl-C-llallllbfif, and mechanism for suppl ying an air-blast to the fuel while in transit to said fuel-chamber and also for supplymg air to said fuel-chamber.

3. In a furnace, the combination of an orefeeding chamber, a horizontally disposed wall located adjacent to the bottom or said ore-feeding chamber and of greater width than the same, vertically-disposed walls su porting said horizontall -disposed wallg, means for feeding solid fuel through said horizontally-disposed walls, and a twyer for supplying'an indraft of air to said fuel, said indraft being so'arranged as to follow said fuel into said fuel-chamber, thereby preventing premature combustion of the fuel.

4. In a furnace, the combination of an orefeeding chamber, a horizontally disposed wall located adjacent to the bottom thereof and of greater width than the same, vertically-disposed walls supporting said horizon-' tally-disposed walls, means for feeding solid fuel through said horizontally-dis osed walls, and means for cooling said solid el as thus fed through said horizontally-disposed walls.

5. In a furnace, the combination of anorefeeding chamber having its lower end open, a smeltin -chamber communicating with said lmver en and provided'with OIlZlOIlS serving as fuel-chambers, said sme ting-chamber lrning further provided with comparatively thick walls serving as bottoms for said fuelchambers, and with a space intermediate of said thick Walls serving as a metal well, mechanism for supplying solidfuel into said fuel-chambers immediately over said walls, and coolin devices for maintaining the tem pcrature oi said solid fuel comparatively low until said fuel enters said fuelchamber..

6. In a furnace,"the combination of an orefeeding chamber, a fuel-chamber disposed adjacent to the lower end of said ore-feeding chamber and of greater width than thh same, means for supplying coal directly irrto said fuel-chamber, and mechanism for maintaining said coal at a low temperature until actually delivered Within sai( fnel-chamben In a furnace, the combination of an ore- 56feeding chamber, a horizontally-disposed well located adjacent to the bottom thereof and of greater Width than said ore-feeding chamber, vertically-dis osed walls supporting said horizontall d 1 sposed wall,'n1eans for feeding solidfue through said horizontally-disposed wall, and twyers connected with said vertically-disposed walls for supplying air thcrethrough.

.1. I n a furnace, the combination of an ore- 60 fee ding chamber, fuel-chambers disposed at tion.

a smelting-chamber and a contracted feedchamberopening through the 11 per wall of the smelting-chamber, of a fuel-reed conduit extendin into the upper wall of the smeltingchamberieside the feed-chamber, twyers delivering to the smelting-chamber, and pipes connecting the twyers and conduit.

10. The combination of a smelting-chamher, a plurality of branch conduits opening thereinto, means for supplying solid fuel to said branch conduits, twyers' connected directly to said smelting-chamber, and branch ipes extending from said twyers to said oranch conduit-s1 ll. Ina furnace, the combination of a smelting-chamber, twyers for delivering air thereinto, a conduit for feeding coal to said furnace, branch conduits connected with said conduit and opening directly into said smelting chamber, spiral feed screws mounted within said first mentioned conduit and adapted to distribute said coal through said branch'comluits, and separate ipcs connected with said t'wyers and \Vltl said branch conduits.

12. The combination of a smelting-chani-.

her, a. main fuel-feeding conduit, a substan tially, :horizontatl conduit leading from said main conduit, branch conduits connecting said horizontal conduit with said smeltingw chamber, a conveyor operating in said horizontal conduit, means for applying air continuously to said smelting-chamber below said conduits, and pipes for supplying air directly to said branch conduits.

13. The combination of a smelting-chamher, a twyer delivering thereto, a fuel-feeding conduit, a spiral conveyer mounted within said conduit, a pipe connecting the twyer and the conduit between the conveyer and the smelting-chamber, and means for feeding an uninterrupted supply of air through said twver tosaid smelting-chamber.

11 testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM KEMP.

Vvitnesses L. W. WAKEFIELD, V J. W. BOGAN.

9. The combination with a furnace having" 

